Frustration With Geography

[Thomas]

Re: USA being a Neighbor of Australia, California and Texas near New York ...

Easy to laugh .. but we Americans are not any wiser. When National Geographic ran a poll in 2006.. 80% of us couldn't locate Afghanistan of a map of Asia (duh .. we've been fighting a war there for there for 4 years), on maps of the Middle East 60% couldn't locate Iraq or Saudia Arabia, (shockingly) 70% couldn't find Israel or Iran. Even worse 30% couldn't find the state of Louisiana (this was one year after Katrina) and 50% couldn't find New York or Ohio.

So Mr. Jolly, if your Filipina friend thinks New York is next to Sydney, she'd make a great American! :hystery:

Some more examples:

At the question "What's the capital city of Iraq?" an university graduated American answered "Afganistan" :hystery:

In the competition where Americans compeete in traveling the world, some of them don't even know the countries they visit exsisted :) (OTHER than the African countries with changed names.)

During WWII the American officials got the idea to ask geograthic question about USA to catch foreign spies. They caught no spies, but a lot of Americans :hystery:

[Americano]

Most Filipinos think all white English speaking people are from America or live somewhere in America regardless of which country they say they are from. Its an ignorance of the world and its people that other countries don't have. This brings into question the intelligence level of the people and especially the teachers who should be teaching basic things such as different countries and nationalities. Lacking the ability to read a map also questions the intelligence of those who are paid to teach and possibly the students.

I know most of you are afraid to question the intelligence of your girlfriend or wife for fear of getting your pee-pee whacked. Well, maybe Jake is not. He seems to like getting a good pee-pee whacking, haha

Edited November 3, 2012 by Americano

[Americano]

Keep in mind that my wife has a college degree, for what that's worth here:

We are watching the floods in Atlantic City, New Jersey on CNN. There is a map on the screen to show where it is. The announcer gives the location in clear language. I tell her it is in USA near New York. I explain that the show "Boardwalk Empire" (which she watches) takes place in that city, long ago of course. I cannot think of what else to say and she says:

But honey, where is that?

Dave, I read your post again and figured out what your problem was. You said USA when you should have said America. Most Filipinos have no idea what the letters usa mean. If you said United States of America then she may have said, Is that the same as America?

[Tom in Texas]

My ex is directionally challenged. She would sometimes call me from some random location when she was lost and ask what to do to get home. "What freeway are you on?" She usually knew that. "Are you going north or south?" Angry responses begin here "how would I know?!" Well are the mountains on your left or your right (or if it is afternoon which way is the sun). "Just tell me left or right at the next exit!" Or "there's a here, should I go left or right at the intersection?" Geez! She finally got a Garmin Nuvi and all that stopped!

Haha... I seem to have this same conversation once a week. My wife has Filipina poker night at our house every week or so. Every time a new player is coming, some one hands me a cell to give them directions. Street names, compass directions, distances... all useless. Only landmarks. I don't even ask where they are... just tell them to go to the Willow Bend Mall (all know where the malls are) and call me when there. At that point I can tell them the "landmark route" (fast food joints, car dealerships, churchs, banks, schools, etc) that will lead them our house.

If they call lost again... I drive to the Mall and lead them to the house.

It's simply how they learned to navigate in the PI... I can direct the taxi fom the airport in Mactan to my wife's family's house in lapu lapu... but guess what... it is all by landmarks. How the hell are filipinos suppose to learn to do otherwise... except for major roads, street signs are rare, and street numbers are non-existent. One good side benefit... you make it a point to learn the landmarks when in the PI... otherwise no one can give you directions. :)

[Dougbert]

My ex is directionally challenged. She would sometimes call me from some random location when she was lost and ask what to do to get home. "What freeway are you on?" She usually knew that. "Are you going north or south?" Angry responses begin here "how would I know?!" Well are the mountains on your left or your right (or if it is afternoon which way is the sun). "Just tell me left or right at the next exit!" Or "there's a here, should I go left or right at the intersection?" Geez! She finally got a Garmin Nuvi and all that stopped!

Haha... I seem to have this same conversation once a week. My wife has Filipina poker night at our house every week or so. Every time a new player is coming, some one hands me a cell to give them directions. Street names, compass directions, distances... all useless. Only landmarks. I don't even ask where they are... just tell them to go to the Willow Bend Mall (all know where the malls are) and call me when there. At that point I can tell them the "landmark route" (fast food joints, car dealerships, churchs, banks, schools, etc) that will lead them our house.

If they call lost again... I drive to the Mall and lead them to the house.

It's simply how they learned to navigate in the PI... I can direct the taxi fom the airport in Mactan to my wife's family's house in lapu lapu... but guess what... it is all by landmarks. How the hell are filipinos suppose to learn to do otherwise... except for major roads, street signs are rare, and street numbers are non-existent. One good side benefit... you make it a point to learn the landmarks when in the PI... otherwise no one can give you directions. :)

Haha, I can totally relate to that. When I met my GF on a dating site and we began to chat I was curious where she lived. So I cranked up Google maps and started asking her for streets nearby. No go. So I asked what route she took to get from work in Cebu City to home in Lapu Lapu. Got closer, but she would give me landmarks that were not visible on Google! After my first visit I get it--as you pointed out, street signs are rare, indeed! She can get around fine there, but it really is hard to know how. After a couple of months of chats and more random questions from me I actually did locate her building on GM before I went there. If I were talking to you or Jake it probably would have taken 30 seconds of talking and looking at GM!I like your idea of navigation by malls. I'll have to try that. The current plan we're thinking about is the K-1 and getting married here in the US. Because of where I live she will very likely have to drive, so learning to drive and navigate (whatever way works) will be major challenges!

[Jake]

My ex is directionally challenged. She would sometimes call me from some random location when she was lost and ask what to do to get home. "What freeway are you on?" She usually knew that. "Are you going north or south?" Angry responses begin here "how would I know?!" Well are the mountains on your left or your right (or if it is afternoon which way is the sun). "Just tell me left or right at the next exit!" Or "there's a here, should I go left or right at the intersection?" Geez! She finally got a Garmin Nuvi and all that stopped!

Haha... I seem to have this same conversation once a week. My wife has Filipina poker night at our house every week or so. Every time a new player is coming, some one hands me a cell to give them directions. Street names, compass directions, distances... all useless. Only landmarks. I don't even ask where they are... just tell them to go to the Willow Bend Mall (all know where the malls are) and call me when there. At that point I can tell them the "landmark route" (fast food joints, car dealerships, churchs, banks, schools, etc) that will lead them our house.

If they call lost again... I drive to the Mall and lead them to the house.

It's simply how they learned to navigate in the PI... I can direct the taxi fom the airport in Mactan to my wife's family's house in lapu lapu... but guess what... it is all by landmarks. How the hell are filipinos suppose to learn to do otherwise... except for major roads, street signs are rare, and street numbers are non-existent. One good side benefit... you make it a point to learn the landmarks when in the PI... otherwise no one can give you directions. :)

OMG Tom, you're still alive? Welcome back my friend! I agree with you about landmarks for giving directions.

I mean, what else can you give them (that they can easily understand)? Unfortunately, landmarks in PI can

come and go, especially after a typhoon has devastated the area. That big MacDonald sign may still be there

but now you're ordering a hooker using the drive through window. Same location but now a different business.

Two Big Macs but hold that funky white sauce -- Jake

[i am bob]

I'm not so sure it's the map thing that gets most people but rather knowing just where they are and what to expect! An example? Before the days of the 75 cent Canadian dollar, people from Buffalo, New York rarely came to Canada. It was just a bridge across the river! But they did not come! Ok, a few did... In August with skis on top of the car hoping to get a few runs in before lunch! Silly people didn't know that the other side of Buffalo gets twice the snow we get in NIagara Falls - when it's cold out! But that is just one example of people not knowing what the geographical area is. Look at the bigger scale! If you say American, you are referring to citizens of the United States, are you not? Isn't Canada in America? Hmmmm.... And what about Mexico? That's just North America... We still have South America and Central America to go yet! But I will admit... The biggest mistake on geographical area is by China while trying to claim Scarborough Shoals (along with other areas) as part of China. Somebody get them a real map, will you please?

Just so nobody thinks I'm picking on them, I got lost in my hometown on Saturday... It's such a big city... about 100k people or so... 3 minutes worth on the highway and you are past it! I need to look at the map again!

:mocking:

Edited November 4, 2012 by I am bob
spelling

[Dougbert]

Just so nobody thinks I'm picking on them, I got lost in my hometown on Saturday... It's such a big city... about 100k people or so... 3 minutes worth on the highway and you are past it! I need to look at the map again!

:mocking:

Hey, I get temporarily sidetracked pretty regularly here in the SF Bay Area--usually as a result of taking surface streets to avoid some bad traffic or in the quest for a new shortcut. But then I consider it a test of my dead reckoning and directional intuition to get back on track without maps or other aids afterwards. Well, that's my excuse, anyway.

[gottawannalive]

When I had my home in the DR people would ask me where I'm from and I would say Chicago. They'd then reply ohhhhhh Nuevo York. I'd just say yeah, Jackson Heights.

[Ashanti]

Keep in mind that my wife has a college degree, for what that's worth here:

We are watching the floods in Atlantic City, New Jersey on CNN. There is a map on the screen to show where it is. The announcer gives the location in clear language. I tell her it is in USA near New York. I explain that the show "Boardwalk Empire" (which she watches) takes place in that city, long ago of course. I cannot think of what else to say and she says:

But honey, where is that?

My guess is your wife has slow english language comprehension as oppose to sharp attention span which is not uncommon for filipino non native english speaker. I must admit, I have this problem from time to time if I do not watch it which really annoy my husband (especially when were driving). I usually get shouted at to “wake up” :( Sometimes, I actually physically shake my head to get my brain into gear :) Although, a lot of times, I just love winding him up, if I can get away with it and give him an innocent smile – it really drive him crazy when I do that :lol:

I can understand his frustration though as it also annoys me when these thing happens to me but im more patient/forgiving than my husband if I like the person.

One time I responded to a friends distress call for help and rushed out with her to see a mutual friend. As we were approaching the road junction, I asked my friend to point the house of our mutual friend (which my friend assured me at the beginning of the drive was just by the junction). My friend just said “there” and I said, “wherrrrrrrrre???????” and again she my friend said “just there” :o

Luckily it turns red at the junction – so I turn to my friend and said calmly, “where to – left or right”. And she said left. So we turn left and I obviously asked which house. Again, the answer was “just there!” Just there – turns out to be halfway of a long road from the junction. When we eventually knock the door at the mutual friends house, her husband who opened the door asked naughtily, if we find the house easy. So I just said – yeah, piece of cake!

:rolleyes: :lol: